Chapter 125: Don’t Want to Be All Alone
Just then, Gu Zhong, one arm in a sling, suddenly walked over. He pulled a small piece of broken silver from his robes, handed it to Gu Qing, then took Xiao Mi with him and left.
’These past few days, I’ve watched from the sidelines,’ he thought. ’Gu Zhang has been helping the third brother, both openly and in secret, and so has Eldest Sister.’
’Whenever Second Brother’s family has something good to eat, they send a bowl to Eldest Sister and a bowl to the third brother, but there’s never any for my family.’
’I can’t understand it. Why do my own siblings treat my family with such disdain? Surely they can’t be jealous of our wealth.’
’Eldest Sister’s family and Second Brother’s are both far better off than mine.’
’And another thing—Bao’er and Hu Zi are cousins, yet I’ve seen Gu Fei secretly give snacks to Hu Zi time and again, while deliberately ignoring Bao’er.’
His sister and brothers had all grown distant. As Gu Zhong realized this, his heart went cold.
Watching Ms. Qian so brazenly demand to borrow grain just now had been a wake-up call. Ms. Qian was only ever thinking about how to take advantage of others. But no one was a fool. Why would anyone let her? In the end, she never gained anything and only made people resent them.
’The third brother never fights or schemes, so when they see he’s in trouble, the others are all willing to pitch in with money and effort to help him.’
’If I let Ms. Qian carry on like this, I’ll end up completely alone!’
’Even Bao’er... I have to discipline him strictly. If I don’t, who will I be able to rely on in my old age?’
No one knew what was going through Gu Zhong’s mind. Gu Zhang looked rather uncomfortable.
He felt that this silver from his eldest brother was too hot to handle.
It made him look as if he had no sense of brotherly duty. Gu Zhang shot Gu Qing a meaningful look.
Gu Qing understood.
When Ms. Qian saw Gu Zhong hand over the silver, she felt a painful sting. With a sour look on her face, she started walking back toward her family’s spot when Gu Qing called out loudly, "Aunt, Little Fei is still young. Please don’t take her words to heart. We’re all family. You can pay back the grain whenever your family is better off."
"Take this silver back."
Ms. Qian hadn’t expected such a windfall. A smile instantly blossomed on her face as she gleefully reached out to take the silver.
From the other side, Gu Zhong suddenly roared, "Don’t you dare take that silver! Get over here and make dinner, now!"
Ms. Qian’s hand trembled. She stared at the silver, not daring to take it, her face twisting in frustration.
"Get over here!" Gu Zhong roared again.
Ms. Qian didn’t dare to look at the silver again and scurried away in a panic.
Gu Fei was also recovering now, so Mrs. Chen wouldn’t let her cook, instead making her sit down by the fire.
Su Chen was sitting beside her. After spending this time together, everyone had learned that the young master’s surname was Su.
Gu Fei had nothing to do, so she idly poked the fire with a stick. Beside her, Su Chen suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Is your injury serious?"
The hand Gu Fei was holding the stick with paused for a moment. "It’s nothing serious," she said softly. "Thank you for the medicine, Young Master Su."
After speaking, Gu Fei stood, gave Su Chen a slight curtsy, and walked away.
Su Chen’s gaze followed her.
He watched her walk over to her paternal aunt’s side and speak with a little girl.
She was wearing a clumsy sheepskin jacket over a pair of bulky, red floral-patterned, cotton-padded trousers.
It was the very picture of a simple country girl’s attire.
’And yet, her actions are nothing like those of a simple country girl,’ he thought.
The firelight illuminated her profile, casting a soft orange glow on her face. Her eyebrows were gently curved, her nose high and straight, and the line from her chin to her neck formed a graceful curve.
As she spoke, she smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up like the petals of a pale pink flower suddenly unfurling.
Suddenly, Su Chen saw her turn her face toward him, her eyes seeming to glitter with two bright flames.
Su Chen looked away in a fluster, his heartbeat suddenly feeling as if it were running out of control.